Gandhinagar, June 16: In a decisive move against child labor, the Gujarat police launched a state-wide initiative called ‘Operation Childhood Freedom.’ Over the first 14 days of this month-long campaign, authorities rescued 84 children from exploitative working conditions and filed cases against 26 offenders.
Led by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi, the campaign aims to ensure that “every child is in school, and no child is at work.” It has intensified enforcement actions in industrial clusters, commercial establishments, and unorganized labor units where children were found violating labor laws.
In one significant operation, the Kamrej police in Surat raided a textile unit named ‘Jay Ambe Textiles’ following a tip-off. They rescued two minor boys who were allegedly forced to work under exploitative conditions.
Initial investigations revealed that these children were paid only 200 rupees per day, far below legal and ethical labor standards. Authorities also discovered that when the minors refused to continue working, they were reportedly coerced to return against their will. The children were made to work from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, with only an hour for lunch, enduring prolonged physical, mental, and economic exploitation. The rescued children were promptly taken to a safe location, while a case was registered against the owner under relevant sections of the law.
Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik stated that this operation is not limited to law enforcement but also focuses on the rehabilitation and long-term welfare of the rescued children.
“The first 14 days of Operation Childhood Freedom have seen the rescue of 84 child laborers and the filing of cases against 26 offenders. Alongside law enforcement, 67 children have been rehabilitated, and 160 awareness programs have been conducted across the state. The campaign aims to both immediately halt child exploitation and eradicate it at its roots,” said the DGP.
Ajay Chaudhary, Additional DGP of the CID Crime (Women’s Cell), noted that cases of child labor have emerged from textile units, hotels, rice mills, and various small industries. Investigations indicate that many of the rescued children were migrants from Bihar and Rajasthan, highlighting potential risks of inter-state trafficking and labor networks.
Officials emphasized that the operation is now not only targeting individual owners but also focusing on dismantling the contractors and supply-chain networks that bring children into labor.
Preliminary analyses of the cases suggest that poverty, migration, school dropouts, and the demand for cheap labor are the primary drivers of child labor. Authorities plan to conduct inspections, surprise raids, and enhance coordination with labor departments, child welfare committees, NGOs, and educational institutions based on intelligence information.
Chaudhary added, “This campaign is divided into four phases. It will begin with mapping hotspots of child labor and identifying school dropouts. This will be followed by investigations and rescue operations, then the rehabilitation and enrollment of rescued children in schools. The final phase will focus on legal action against those involved in child labor and their networks.”
Under this initiative, the Gujarat police aim to inspect over 50,000 locations, gather 10,000 intelligence reports, and rescue more than 5,000 child laborers.
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